SoCal: My First Attempt at Travel Photography

For our trip to Southern California in June 2023, my mom gifted me her old camera that still works really well and I put it to good use. I haven’t used a camera since I took a photography class in high school, but the art was something I had always been meaning to get back into. Cameras produce much better quality photos than the iPhone, especially when zooming in. I knew I would be able to make good use of the camera on vacation.

Photography often tells stories, offers metaphors and allusions to deeper meanings, or it can simply be a showcase of a fun adventure. In this case, it is more of a showcase but in my defense, I am still a beginner, haha! This trip was my first attempt at travel photography and by default, this article can count as my first photo essay.

The camera I used is a 2013 canon power shot sx40 HS! Still trying to figure out all the settings, but here is what it produced.

This is Ginger, my sister-in-law’s parents’ dog. She was my first subject with the camera!

Zoomed into this sign from the car! Nevada made my 30th state!

A little food photography practice!

My sister-in-law’s family gathered a Mediterranean lunch for my family and me a couple days before my brother’s wedding. This was in suburban Los Angeles, and food included is authentic Greek yogurt, hummus, pita bread, lamb, chicken kabob, beef skewers, taboule, and shirazi salad! It was catered from a Mediterranean restaurant called Massis Kabob, and it was delicious (especially the lamb)! The Mediterranean has always been on my bucket list but now that I know how yummy the food is, I definitely want to go there!

The camera and I in the LA Airbnb!

Surfers on the beach in Malibu

Despite how cold and windy it was that day, multiple people were on the side of the road getting changed into either their bathing suits or surfing suits. Malibu is a very popular surf destination as well as a popular place for celebrity homes! Unfortunately, I didn’t see any as they were likely on top of the hill but Malibu has much more to it! While taking this photo, I was actually standing on the deck of the Malibu Pier and had to zoom in fully to capture the surfer scene. That’s what cameras are for, though!

Just a fishing pole sitting in the breeze

Aside from surfing, Malibu also attracts a lot of fishing lovers. Since my dad fits that category, he was especially fascinated with the fact that there were quite a bit of fishing poles attached to the rail of the pier. People can simply walk up to any of them and start fishing and this is definitely something I do not see everyday.

The Santa Monica Pier Sign!

This image not only captures the starting point of the Pier, but it also captures the typical scene of the pier. My goal was to capture everything significant about Santa Monica in the same photo as the sign and that included cars stuck in traffic, a biker, a kiosk on the sidewalk, a stoplight, a palm tree, and the ferris wheel from far away. Everything about the Santa Monica Pier makes you feel like you’re in a movie, because of how iconic it is and the objects in it that stand out.

An amusement park right on the pier!

The large Ferris wheel is often what people think of when they hear the words, “Santa Monica”. But, what they tend to leave out is the fact that the ferris wheel is part of an amusement park on the pier and there are many other exhilarating rides. Despite the fact that it is a small amusement park compared to places including Cedar Point and Disneyworld, the reason this place is so iconic is because it is a fun zone found on a pier.

On the way to La Jolla Cove

La Jolla Cove is beautiful, but so is the walk to it. Tourists typically walk down a concrete rocky-walled sidewalk to get there and see what defines La Jolla: The cove, rocks in the water, palm trees, and a small sandy beach.

“Seal Rock”

La Jolla is also known for its abundance of seals on the beach, that are admirable from afar but are not afraid to strike at tourists who come too close to them. All along the walkway to La Jolla Cove, the “orf-orf” sound seals make are heard at high volume. The seals in the photo above are special because they were the only ones I saw not lying flat down on a rock or the beach. These two were sitting up, looking out into the ocean, enjoying being away from tourists.

Hotel Del Coronado

I did not stay here but this is arguably the most luxurious hotel in Coronado, and the entire resort follows you as you walk down the Coronado boardwalk. During my boardwalk stroll, I saw many different parts of the resort including the pool area, the balcony rooms, cabanas, the beach village, and the squeaky clean lawn all over the resort.

Sunset Cliffs

This shot would have been better if I actually took it at sunset, but it was just as beautiful during the day. Not only is it a couple’s desired photoshoot location, it is also known for its stunning geological rock formations, especially the one pictured that has a small tunnel. Aside from the rock formations, this spot provides magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean and can be viewed from the top, the cave, and/or the beach. In addition, my brother and his now wife did a photoshoot here back when they were dating!

The San Diego Zoo Collection

The San Diego Zoo is one of the top-rated zoos in the U.S., as well as one of the largest. It houses approximately 4,000 animals of over 650 species and the species are divided into different sections of the park. But, the organizational structure is just the start of why the zoo impressed me. These photos will dive deeper into why this zoo is so magnificent.

This is Shaba the elephant! Obviously my favorite exhibit!

Shaba is a female African savanna elephant and lives with two other elephants at the San Diego Zoo. The San Diego Zoo has its own elephant odyssey and the conservation status is endangered, and this is sadly true about elephants all around the world. We are running out of them, but the elephants at this zoo are properly cared for as well as the ones I saw in Thailand. If the care continues and more elephants are born, I hope that they will no longer be an endangered species.

A lion sticking his tongue out at tourists

He’s like, “don’t look at me! I’m trying to sleep!” LOL! These lions are also a part of the elephant odyssey, as the area is where the African animals go. Most people are reminded of Simba from the Lion King when they see a lion, and fittingly, “simba” is the Swahili word for lion. Simba can also mean “king”, “strong”, and “aggressive”, which is exactly what lions are symbols of. Unlike the lion from the Wizard of Oz, real lions are very courageous!

The long-neck creatures!

Giraffes are another one of my favorite animals and my mom enjoyed seeing them as well. These giraffes are located at the Urban Jungle part of the zoo and these giraffes are Maasai giraffes from Kenya! Pretty cool since I have actually met Maasai men in Tanzania and saw giraffes on the safari! In addition, giraffes have a gift with their long necks making it easy for them to eat plants off tall trees and when they bend over for food as pictured above, they only have to bend their necks!

Koala-fied for this essay, haha!

Moving onto an animal NOT from the African exhibits, the San Diego Zoo has the largest koala colony outside of Australia. There is an underlying reason why this part of the zoo has elevated walkways and it is so that tourists can be at eye level with the koalas, who are always up on their perches. This photo shows a koala resting comfortably on their perch, but the quality would have been better if they could look at the camera!

5-year-old me would’ve vibed with these penguins!

I also played Club Penguin a lot as a kid, and a lot of this was because of my interest in penguins. However, I still think penguins are wonderful creatures, I’ve just replaced that obsession with elephants. These penguins are located at Africa Rocks in the zoo, although Africa is not what I think of when I hear penguins. I think of Antarctica, but South Africa has a significant penguin population so Africa Rocks would make sense! They are also very quick in the water and like to go in and out of their pool at the zoo. Fun Fact: African penguins are also sometimes called jackass penguins, because one of their vocalizations sounds like a braying donkey. Haha!

Reptile Exhibit: Komodo Dragon!

I am not a huge reptile person, but the Komodo Dragon stood out to me because 1. It reminds of those monitor lizards I see on Naked and Afraid that the survivalists are so scared of and 2. They are an exotic species only found on a few islands in Indonesia. Sadly, Bali is not one of them, but Komodo Island has a national park dedicated to these lizards and that is where they got their name! In addition, the Komodo Dragon is the largest living lizard on Earth and you can find these and other reptiles at the zoo’s Discovery outpost!

I found the camera very useful for the entire SoCal trip, especially the zoo. With the animals being far away from me, the camera worked best for zooming in for a closer look at them, and it produces amazing quality that the iPhone cannot. The San Diego Zoo is almost like being on an American safari (and yes, you can actually do a safari trip at the zoo for an extra cost!) Aside from that, I got to see many amazing coastal tourist spots in between Los Angeles and San Diego, and the camera worked well for those sites too. It worked best in my favor at getting shots of the seals, the rock formations at Sunset Cliffs, and the surfers in the ocean in Malibu! Although I am fairly new at travel photography and writing photo essays, still don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions!

In addition, there are Fahlo animal tracker bracelets for sale at the zoo gift shop! That’s me with my elephant expedition bracelet and my mom with her Giraffe tracking bracelet! Learn more at myfahlo.com.